It
is reported that John Smyth, who originally was a bishop in the church of England,
left that church and fled to Holland. He, along with others, formed the first
Baptist church around 1610. Shortly after he died, the church there ceased.
Some that helped found it in Holland, returned to England and established other
Baptist churches. As time passed, the number of churches grew. The Calvinistic
or Particular Baptists were a different group in England which also spread.
These eventually migrated to what is now the USA.

It
is reported that Roger Williams founded the first Baptist church in America
around 1639 in Providence, RI. There is no record of other Baptist churches
coming forth from this one. Later, other Baptist churches sprung up. One in
Boston, another in Maine which relocated to South Carolina. Another was started
in New York, another in Long Island in the 1700's, another in Philadelphia,
and another in New Jersey. Very severe persecution awaited these people that
made their stand for God’s Word. Once the Revolutionary War ended and religious
freedom was established, the Baptists spread far and wide.

2-BAPTIST
CHURCHES BELIEVE

Some
Baptists hold the view that they are not Protestants and that they did not come
out of the Reformation, such as the Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians,
and Methodists. However, there are now some Baptists that did split off from
Protestant churches as they did not hold to their unbiblical teaching. Other
Baptists consider themselves a denomination of Protestant believers, who believe
water baptism is to be done solely by immersion and only after one has trusted
in Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation. Baptists believe the Bible
clearly teaches that infant baptism and baptism before believing on Jesus Christ
is not scriptural.
The Baptist church believes the Bible teaches that once a
person is truly saved it is not possible to fall from salvation. They believe
a person is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and cannot be unsealed.
The Baptist church does not believe that spiritual gifts,
such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, laying on of hands for healing, etc.,
are for today. They believe once the canon of Scripture was completed by John,
such spiritual gifts ceased.

The
Southern Baptist Convention and National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., are the
largest Protestant denominations in the US with approximately 34 million members.

The
Southern Baptist Convention is the name of a denomination and also its
annual meeting.
Organized in 1845 in Augusta, GA.
Currently about 16 million members and about 40,000 churches
in the USA.
They sponsor about 4000 missionaries in about 126 nations.
It is said that they average about 4 new congregations each
day.
To become a member entails receiving Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Savior and as a believer, being baptized by immersion.
They have 6 seminaries which average about 2000 students
each. It is said that about 1 of every 6 students of theology attend one of
these seminaries.

6-MISCELLANEOUS

For
the most part, Protestant churches practice infant and sprinkling baptism. These
practices are unscriptural.
Many Protestant denominations hold to the doctrines or writings
of their founders along with the Bible.

Lutheran
is a state church in Germany.
The Anglican Church is the state church of England.
The Roman Catholic Church is inseparable with Rome.